Bulgaria

Daniel Vlahov

Daniel Vlahov | Photo: Körber-Stiftung

"Beyond an old intercity rivalry - Sliven and Yambol in the 19th and 20th centuries " (2016)

In October 2016, twenty-four award winners from EUSTORY competitions met at a History Camp in Georgia. For this occasion they prepared posters about their projects and findings which were displayed in the National History Museum in Tbilisi.

My competition entry was about the rivalry between my hometown Sliven and the neighbouring town Yambol. Back in the Middle Ages the residents of these two cities were not on good terms. Even today, there is a dispute about which city is better – Sliven or Yambol. But in the 19th century intellectuals realized the need for conflict resolution in favour of both cities.

How did you decide on your topic?One of the main reasons was that Sliven is my hometown. I wanted to get to know my birthplace better. Furthermore, I asked myself in general: why do conflicts arise between neighbouring cities and sometimes countries? This reflexion on a global level was quite interesting. Additionally, the theme seemed to be very suitable for a documentary film.

How did you react when you came upon surprising points during your research?Many authors, who are not related to the two cities, describe bizarre situations taking place during the conflict. One of these situations touched me personally: The first school in Yambol was built by a teacher from Sliven. The inhabitants of Yambol wrote him a song to express their gratitude.